Rishi Sunak says ‘no deal yet’ on Northern Ireland Protocol
Rishi Sunak has said that “there is still work to be done” to reach an agreement with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol of Brexit amid speculation one could be close.
The Prime Minister stressed that “we have not yet reached an agreement” and promised to continue negotiations with the European Commission “intensely”.
Mr Sunak met with Stormont leaders earlier on Friday amid mounting speculation that the government and the EU are close to presenting an agreement on Ireland’s controversial trade deals.
The Prime Minister told Downing Street broadcasters: “Today I had positive discussions with political parties in Northern Ireland about our ongoing talks to resolve the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“It is now clear that we need to find solutions to the practical problems that the Protocol is causing families and businesses in Northern Ireland and to address the democratic deficit.
“Now there is more to do. And that is why my fellow ministers and I will continue to engage intensively with the European Union to find solutions that protect the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and Northern Ireland’s place in our single market.”
Asked if he was confident he could make it, Mr Sunak said: “Like I said, there is still work to be done. We don’t have an agreement yet.”
The five main Stormont parties – Sinn Fein, the DUP, Alliance, the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP – have been invited to one-to-one meetings with Mr Sunak.
After his visit to Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister will meet European leaders in Germany this weekend for the Munich Security Conference – and the minutes will likely be taken on the fringes of the discussions.
In another obvious sign of progress, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was in Brussels on Friday for a meeting with European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic – a meeting both politicians described as “constructive”.
The UK and EU have engaged in extensive negotiations on how the protocol, which was included in the Withdrawal Agreement, will work to ensure the free movement of goods across the Irish land border after Brexit.
The protocol instead created economic trade barriers to shipping from Britain to Northern Ireland.
It has proved deeply unpopular with trade unionists who claim it has weakened Northern Ireland’s position within the UK, and the DUP has used a Stormont veto to overthrow the power-sharing institutions in protest at the agreements.